Operatically trained Dr. Kate Rawls piques one’s interest in saying: “One of the most important and freeing aspects of a Christian worldview as applied to singing is fully coming to an understanding that our voice and abilities are gifts from God. With this is mind, the process of learning and developing the voice becomes an act of worship no matter what style or genre.” While citing the Lord’s Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25, Dr. Adena LeJeune notes: “At first glance, it may seem that a business career does not present as many opportunities for Kingdom service as careers in fields such as healthcare, social services, or education do, but a closer examination reveals that Christianity and business disciplines actually go hand-in-hand.” Dr. Dan Criswell states in his essay, “Integration of Faith and Learning - A Scientific Perspective,” that showing students the “defective world in which they live is an open door for sharing the remedy of Man’s predicament in this life. The remedy is ‘Christ, who died for the ungodly’” (Romans 5:6). Dr. Marvin Jones elucidates a burgeoning cultural problem, and that is the rejection of absolute moral truth. He states: “The case for Christian fidelity in a posttruth culture is a product of the first commandment to ‘have no other Gods before me’” (Exodus 20:3). Louisiana College’s fourth edition of “Faith Matters” complements the previous three with more insights regarding the Integration of Faith and Learning. These engaging articles are more than ink on paper; they demonstrate the “how” and “why” of what we do at Louisiana College. Every essayist teaches from a Christian perspective as exemplars of what a God-led life should represent. Here are some comments from each essay: Dr. Sonia Tinsley’s essay, “Integrating Faith into the Dimensions of Health,” skillfully weaves biblical themes from verses like 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” Dr. Marion Skiles relied on her upbringing as a pastor’s child to help her “hold steadfast to [her] beliefs without swaying to the other side” while attending public institutions of higher education. And that historical dynamic instructs her continuing convictions in the classroom as she prepares tomorrow’s educators.
Every edition of Faith Matters reveals sterling examples of Louisiana College’s differentiating value proposition, which is the Integration of Faith and Learning through curricula built upon a Christian worldview. Each essayist is an integral part of helping Louisiana College fulfill our Vision Statement: Preparing Graduates and Transforming Lives. Keep Pressing On!
Rick Brewer, PhD, MBA President Professor of Management Louisiana College
Integration of Faith and Learning- A Scientific Perspective
Daniel Criswell, PhD Professor of Biology
Students trust their instructors; they trust their instructors to provide accurate and relevant information leading to the student’s educational and career goals; they trust their instructors to encourage them to persevere when educational demands create hardship and stress; and they trust their instructors to be fair and honorable. Even more so, Christian students in a Christian school trust their instructors to provide them with information to defend their faith and lead them to a closer relationship with their Creator, the God of the Bible, through the subject matter disseminated in the classroom. Successfully integrating God’s truth within an instructor’s area of expertise is not a difficult task, nor does one have to master a certain pedagogy
or methodology to accomplish the task. Simply, integrating faith and learning requires revealing God’s character through the subject and demonstrating God’s character in the instructor’s life. Revealing God’s character involves three basic steps: (1) God is the Creator of all things, (2) God sustains His Creation, and (3) God redeems His Creation. Any subject area can demonstrate these basic principles in a variety of ways. Demonstrating God’s character in the instructor’s life requires a Christ centered life-style built from studying God’s word. (1) God is the Creator of all things. Every book of the Bible and every genre of scripture reveals God as the Creator. Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the Heavens and Earth; Ephesians 3:9 says that God created all things; and Romans 1:20 adds that God is clearly seen through the things He has created. These truths are easy to memorize in a Bible class, but revealing these truths from the natural world in a classroom subject such as English, math, or science is the key to integrating God’s truth to students in a Christian school. What qualities about the physical world reveal God as Creator? Is all of what humans experience through their senses dependent on a Creator? Answering these questions using responsible hermeneutics and accurate subject matter will validate biblical claims and characterize who God is to students. In biology, for example, the genetic material that makes all life possible, DNA, aptly demonstrates how to integrate the truth of God as Creator in science. DNA is a molecule that has several levels of information imparted into living things, and scientists observe that information can only come from an intelligent source. It isn’t just the information component of DNA that reveals that it was created by an intelligent being. Only living systems or systems modeled after living things can synthesize DNA. Scientists have tried to synthesize DNA abiotically (without living systems) since the 1930s. So far, they have failed to synthesize the building blocks of DNA into a complete molecule. In fact, the failure to synthesize DNA has prompted NASA to spend billions of dollars to explore Mars, the moons of Jupiter, and Saturn for clues of how
the molecules of life, including DNA, could have been synthesized from non-living sources. Nobel Laureate, Francis Crick, who discovered the structure of DNA, proposed that DNA, and consequently life, could not have come from the Earth’s solar system and therefore, life was transplanted to Earth from some faraway place in the galaxy, or another galaxy- a popular theory today called Panspermia. The evidence of the origin of DNA therefore favors a theory called “Biogenesis” which states that all life comes from similar pre-existing life. The concept that God is the source of all life, clearly taught in scripture, is evident from the attributes of DNA in the physical world. Presenting God as the Creator of all things, including Man in His image to accomplish God’s purposes, is a foundational truth that provides students with the biblical context for meaning and purpose for their life and studies. (2) God sustains Creation. God provides all the requirements necessary for the spiritual and physical components of Creation to continue. The Old and New Testaments are filled with verses of God’s sustaining power. Psalm 104 describes God’s sovereignty and sustaining power over all things on Earth. Psalm 145:16 says, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Matthew illustrates God’s attentive care for Creation with the statement, “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” But the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:29-30). Paul quotes the Cretan poet Epimenides in Acts 17:28 with, “For in him we live and move and have our being,” to further illustrate God’s sustaining power over the lives of people. While it is easy to share these truths in a Bible class, understanding God’s sustaining power in the physical world is required for the Christian student at a Christian college. Examples of integrating God’s sustaining power in all subjects including biology abound. For example, a discussion of the functions of DNA can serve as an appropriate example of God’s sustaining power observed in the physical world. For the next generation of any living thing to continue, it must have a copy of the life-giving information from
the previous generation. DNA stores the information necessary to ensure that every new generation of living things (including cells, plants, animals, and people) receive the correct instructions to survive and interact in God’s Creation. Without the accurate replication of DNA, and inheritance of DNA from parent to offspring, life as we know it would quickly disappear from the Earth. God created this complex molecule and its functional partners, proteins, to sustain and continue all forms of life. (3) God redeems His Creation. The Earth is an imperfect place dominated by the struggle for survival, destruction, and death. Every person and therefore, student, whether Christian or not, contemplates an Earth without the struggle for survival and the pressures to survive daily life. Is the origin of survival, destruction, and death the culmination of millions of years of random, imperfect evolutionary processes, or is there another origin of the struggles that dominate the Earth? Genesis chapter 3 and Romans chapter 5 summarize the scenario that is responsible for the struggle for survival and the remedy for that struggle. The source of the struggle is the “sin that entered the world through one man” (Romans 5:12) and the accompanying curse described in Genesis 3. So severe are Man’s sinful effects on the Earth that the Apostle Paul says, “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22). Genesis chapter 3 says, “Cursed is the ground,” and “through painful toil you will eat from it”, and “by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food”, illustrating the lost environmental relationships Man has with his world. While the effects of sin are understandable from scripture, the challenge is how to reveal to students a world that is in need of redemption through the course content in English, math, science, etc… In biology, once again DNA provides an easy to understand example of the consequences of sin and death brought into the world by Man. For a professional biologist it is not difficult to envisage how DNA might work perfectly to pass the genetic information onto the next generation without the loss of any information. Unfortunately, that is not what happens. The mechanisms of replicating DNA
and transcribing proteins from the DNA genes is error prone. The mistakes that are made in DNA during these processes contribute to reduced fitness, loss of genetic information, diseases, and the aging process in all living things. The data from observable science shows that error-prone transcription of DNA does not lead to improvements, or the vertical evolution towards superior organisms; the data show that DNA is decaying over time leading to extinction. The loss of information in DNA closely follows the expected results from a Creation defiled by Man’s sin. Illustrating to students the defective world in which they live is an open door for sharing the remedy of Man’s predicament in this life. The remedy is “Christ, who died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). While accepting Christ will not provide an escape from death in this world, it will provide passage to a world without sin and death. “All who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The importance of communicating these truths with students is to lead them to God’s provision for redemption and not solely for integrating faith and learning. However, without the life of Christ in the instructor, the integration of faith and learning for the student can just become the practice of learning the information disseminated in class and regurgitating it back on an exam with the student dutifully fulfilling the requirements to get an “A” in the class. Instructors must be rooted in the word of God and “be prepared to give an answer…for the hope that you have” (I Peter: 3:15) and to be “a workman who correctly handles the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15). In addition to knowing God’s word, instructors must model God’s word. John 15:4-8 reminds all Christians, in any occupation, to remain in Christ and to bear much fruit. What is the fruit that a college instructor will reap? It is the changed lives of the students under the instructor’s charge. Successful academic students will continue to pursue their chosen careers, attend graduate school or professional schools whether the instructor shared Christ or not. However, a successful Christian instructor is a servant dedicated
to imparting God’s information and wisdom into students who have entrusted their education to that instructor’s ability, character, and desire to teach. The “Art of Teaching” is getting knowledge into students from the instructor’s knowledge base and the “Art of Teaching” in a Christian school is getting the life of Christ into the students. Ultimately, the “fruit” or success of a Christian school instructor produces students whose spiritual lives are strengthened and encouraged, while other students find salvation through God’s redemptive plan shared in the instructor’s course content.
Faith Matters in Business
Dr. Alena LeJeune Associate Professor of Business
While all reputable business schools teach principles of ethical business, these lessons fit especially well in a Christian liberal arts college. At first glance, it may seem that a business career does not present as many opportunities for Kingdom service as careers in fields such as healthcare, social services, or education do, but a closer examination reveals that Christianity and business disciplines actually go hand in hand. From the well-known parable of the talents found in Matthew 25 where those who invested and increased the master’s wealth were rewarded, to the Proverbs 31 description of a virtuous woman who buys land and sells merchandise, the Bible consistently encourages productivity and profitability through business endeavors. Some of the Biblical principles reinforced through a Christian business education are very general, while others are more specific. Romans 12:11
teaches Christians, “Be not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” From this general principle we see that diligent, hard work in the business environment is a form of service to the Lord. This concept is imparted to students by setting high standards for course work and by expecting them to put forth their best efforts on projects and assignments. Faculty members can also model this concept through their own preparation as professors and through inviting guest speakers who can testify to the necessity of hard work in any successful career. More specifically, the Biblical principles of Christian faith often coincide with the specific topics taught in my primary teaching areas of accounting and finance. Part of what originally drew me to accounting when choosing my major was the balance and completeness found in accounting records that seems to reflect the harmony found throughout God’s creation. Accounting is all about balance. When Proverbs 11:1 refers to the abomination of a false balance compared to God’s delight in a just weight, it is speaking of a literal scale used in commercial transactions. However, the implied principle of honest business dealings has a much broader application including integrity in financial reporting. When I teach my students about representational faithfulness as a necessary characteristic of useful financial statements, I am reinforcing this concept of honesty in business. Other accounting and finance topics that reflect Biblical principles are numerous. In Luke 14:28, Jesus teaches that before starting to build a tower, one should count the cost, and determine whether the available funds will be sufficient to complete the project. In accounting and finance courses, we call this capital budgeting. Financial planning lessons, as well as planning to complete practice sets and other multi-step projects, reinforce to students the words of Proverbs 21:5, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty,” and the teaching of Proverbs 13:11 that getrich-quick schemes are not as likely to lead to lasting wealth as a careful plan of steady increases. The fair treatment of employees required by Leviticus 19:13
is included in the Balanced Scorecard approach to evaluating business performance and when discussing the need to investigate all possible causes of variances from standard costs and budgets rather than drawing hasty conclusions.
The Value of a Christian Liberal Arts Education
One of the most important examples of Biblical principles in accounting relates to the many devastating consequences of financial fraud. Revenue is an important word to all business professionals, but it is imperative that business students understand that as stated in Proverbs 16:8, “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.� All students in the auditing course taken by accounting majors are required to read, discuss, and write about the financial fraud that happened at WorldCom in 2002 and its devastating effects on real people. Sadly, several of the participants in the fraudulent financial reporting scheme were professing Christians who, when pressured, made bad choices (Cooper, 2008). It is my hope that by asking students to examine where these individuals made the wrong decisions and to consider the long term results of those choices, I can help them to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Through this process, students are learning to consider the needs of others rather than to only serve themselves. Is Louisiana College unique in teaching concepts such as ethical decision making, capital budgeting, fair treatment of employees, careful financial planning, faithful representation in financial reporting, and honesty in business? Of course not. However, Louisiana College is special when it blends these standard business concepts with a Biblical worldview. When we are successful in shaping students into future business leaders who will go into the world and change the culture of business by honoring the spirit of the law and not only the letter of the law, we are truly preparing graduates and transforming lives.
Cooper, C. (2008). Extraordinary circumstances: The journey of a corporate whistleblower. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Dr. Kate Rawls. Assistant Professor of Music
“Many people do not realize how many disciplines singing well really entails. There is so much more to producing a pleasing sound than the proper technique. We must also be historians, music theorists, poets, linguists, psychologists, scientists, story-tellers, actors, and public speakers. This is where the Christian liberal arts education gives a singer a considerable advantage. A well-rounded education makes for a well-rounded musician who is ultimately a better and more dynamic performer. By equipping our students with these tools, we are giving them a chance to develop into the most accomplished and excellent versions of themselves.
History and math are two essential subjects which serve the singer. The songs that comprise a classical singer’s repertoire span a variety of eras throughout history. Each period houses a diversity of styles and genres as well as its own unique characteristics. Knowing the era from which a musical piece originates provides insight as to why the composer wrote it, as well as the social, political, and cultural aspects that might have influenced it. These are crucial to fully understanding the piece so that interpretation cannot only be correct, but effective. Closely related to the history of a piece is the theory behind it. The way in which a score is constructed is meaningful and essential to the interpretation of the work. Understanding the musical theory behind the composition allows one to come closer to the composer’s personal understanding of the text. In most works, a composer is seeking to express something specific through the marriage of words and music. Knowing how the music is combined with the text gives us insight into what the composer is trying to convey. This also gives clues as to how the performer should interpret and perform the piece. For anyone who has not taken a music theory class, not only is it learning a new language, but it is all mathematically based. The basic concepts are simple fractions, but the more complex the music theory, the more complex the math behind it. Comprehending how and why a composer sets a text a certain way is vital to the singer’s ability to create a real and meaningful performance of a song. The analysis of any piece of music requires that one be able to understand mathematical concepts. Poetry and literature are vital for a singer to be able to comprehend and analyze. Most songs have texts written by the major poets throughout history. Without being able to correctly interpret and analyze a poem, singers would not be able to effectively communicate their understanding of the song, nor that of the composers. Sure, good musicians can “fake” their way through a song by just being “musical,” but in doing so they are cheating both themselves and their audience out of a meaningful,
and usually powerful, experience. Not only do singers have to understand poetry in their own language, but also in foreign languages. They must know enough about the language in which they are singing to communicate the words correctly and expressively. In order to do this, being able to translate and then analyze poetry of a different language must be ready skills. After the poetry is fully understood, then, and only then, can a performer bring a text to life. However, not all songs are based on poetry. Some are taken from larger works based on literature. For these instances, it is important for the singer to be able to understand and consider a piece in context of its whole in order to fully comprehend the implications of the text. Of the songs studied and performed, many of the subjects cover a wide variety of characters and psyches. As such, it is a considerable benefit to have a basic knowledge of psychology. Understanding how the mind works as well as the effects of trauma or sickness is essential to interpreting and connecting to the character on a deeper level. As singers, we need to be able to effectively communicate and mimic multiple states of mind, and studying psychology allows us to realistically portray anything that a text asks of us. Because the body is the singer’s instrument, it is imperative that one understands how it works best as well as how to make corrections when something is wrong. Anatomy, acoustics, and certain principles of physics are essential for a singer to understand this. Using the body correctly optimizes efficiency by allowing the singer to maximize the sound and quality of the tone with the least amount of energy spent. In order to do this, one must understand the anatomy of the vocal tract, breathing, and the basic support structure of the entire body. How sound is created and manipulated through the vocal tract affects the resulting timbre and tone quality. Knowing how the body is supposed to work while singing allows for longevity and lasting quality of the voice. When one fully understands how to correctly and safely manipulate the body, the resulting sound will be able
to conform to a variety of styles and genres. The main purpose of singing is to communicate some thought, story, or idea. In order to be effective, singers must learn to create and relay realistic interpretations of both text and music. In other words, they must be musicians who are more than competent in acting. How to move, when to move, when not to move, what facial expression is effective, how to convey the many levels of emotions, what to do with your hands, where to look, and how to be expressive with only the eyes are all skills that are necessary to a great performer. A lot of “imperfect” singing can be forgiven if the singer is a good communicator and actor. There are other instances in which singers will find it necessary to address their audiences, whether on or off stage, through speaking rather than singing. Being able to carry themselves with confidence and control regardless of the situation is a mark of a good singer. The aforementioned skills are all necessary to fully train and equip singers with the abilities that they need to be outstanding artists. A liberal arts education is instrumental in creating an effective musician. What is unique about Louisiana College and other liberal arts schools like it is the added Christian worldview. This gives students the ability to be Biblically grounded in all that they do, say, and learn. It enhances the educational process and goes beyond instilling knowledge and developing high quality singers; it cultivates their hearts. One of the most important and freeing aspects of a Christian worldview as applied to singing is fully coming to an understanding that our voice and abilities are gifts from God. With this is mind, the process of learning and developing the voice becomes an act of worship no matter what style or genre. We are called to develop our gifts, and we are called to do so with excellence. Teaching students what this means is invaluable to their development both as musicians and as believers. When the voice is seen as a gift from God rather than a personal ability or talent, it helps to counter the pride and ego that naturally develop. With this freedom, we place our
confidence in the Lord rather than in ourselves. As a singer, this is an immense weight lifted. Singing is a vulnerable act that lends itself to self-deprecation, self-elevation or some combination of the two, none of which are healthy. The “look what I can do” mentality shatters and instead one of thankfulness and humility develops. With the understanding that God has given us our abilities, we can rely on Him. We are free to concentrate on and enjoy the task at hand, instead of massaging our own ego, which is fragile and blinding. This does not mean that we must not work to better technique, control, and artistry, but we are not chained to the fluctuations of our own self-worth. For a singer, a Christian liberal arts education is instrumental in his or her development as a musician, artist, performer, and individual. This type of education provides the complete package and offers all facets of subjects needed, while it develops more than just the voice and the performer.
An Educator of Many Generations
mother said, “We didn’t sing a song about a cross-eyed bear!” He said, “You know, the song we sang that said, ‘the cross I bare?’” Well, according to Travis, he heard the song differently than what the song was saying! To me, these are priceless moments. That has been my life’s work until coming to higher education. My life started in Pineville while my dad was attending Louisiana College and pastoring a church in Grant Parish. I am the youngest of three children who lived in a pastor’s home, and our household was always a lively and welcoming place. My dad was unable to finish college at that time because he was called to another church. Most preachers’ children do not enjoy moving to different churches, but I really enjoyed getting to know other people in different parts of the state of Louisiana.
Marion Skiles, Ed.D. Professor of Education
One of the greatest joys of my life has been working daily with young children. I taught children in the K-12 environment for twenty-five years. I also have worked full time in churches teaching preschoolers and children. They are honest and so much fun to work with. You never know what they are going to say and how they are going to say it. Perhaps one of the most unforgettable stories during my years as a children’s minister was shared by one of my students’ parents. The student had heard a song in church and did not understand why such a song would be sung in church. His mother said they were coming home from church when Travis leaned over the front seat (this is before they had to be in car seats, of course), and said, “Mom, I don’t understand why we sang a song about a cross-eyed bear tonight.” His
I attended a Christian college for one semester, but the rest of my educational journey consisted of attending state universities. One of the differences that I noted was how Christ and the Bible were never mentioned in the state universities, and if they were, it was usually in derogatory terms. Discussions opposing some of these thoughts were not encouraged, but sometimes as Christians, we had the opportunity to share our biblical values and Christian Worldview. However, these times were very few and far between. During this time, these experiences caused me to hold steadfast to my beliefs without swaying to the other side. While being raised in a Christian home, taught the Bible and how to live as a Christian were certainly positive aspects of my life, I soon began to realize that I also had to have my own understanding of what I believed, and why I believed it. During the early 1980s, I had the unique privilege of attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and earned a Master’s degree in Religious Education. This journey helped me when working full time in three different churches as a Children’s Minister. While this work was very rewarding and memorable, it was also very interesting, as working on a church staff can sometimes present challenges. During these
experiences, I learned how to depend on the Lord more than I thought possible because I wanted to lead in the way that the Lord desires. Working in a Christian Liberal Arts College has been a refreshing experience. It has allowed me to teach students about the whole child. When I taught in a public university, it was hard sometimes to express thoroughly how a child grows and matures in all areas: academically, physically, emotionally, socially and especially spiritually. In the public university, I would talk about the growth of a child spiritually, although not as in depth as I am able to at Louisiana College. To be able to share my faith and to pray with students without fear of repercussions is very energizing. The Louisiana College School of Education’s motto is: “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). I feel that working in the School of Education at Louisiana College is a privilege, and I am honored to work with Dr. Amy Craig, Dr. Christy Warren, Dr. Cathy Eschete, Mrs. Wendi O’Halloran, and Mrs. Shwane Johnson. We work so well together and truly operate as a family unit or team in order to best serve our students as we prepare them for their best possible future and transform their lives academically and spiritually. One of the most beneficial things that my dad taught me was the importance of memorizing scripture. He also led the churches of his pastorates to be involved in this as well. One of my favorite scriptures that we learned is John 14: 1-6 (KJV): “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where i am, there ye may be also. And whither I go you know, and the way we know”. Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.”
This scripture really helps me in my daily life. It brings comfort for today and promises of what is to come. I thank the Lord for bringing me to Louisiana College, for the opportunity to work with the faculty that I get the work with, and for loving me enough to prepare a place for me in heaven, as He promises to return one day.
Integrating Faith into the Dimensions of Health
One must start with an understanding of the definition of health. In the past, health was largely viewed as the absence of infectious diseases. In 1947, the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” (World Health Organization, 1998, p.1). Over the years, the definition of health has evolved to include multiple dimensions of wellness. Hettler (1976) developed the Six Dimensions of Wellness Model: occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional. Other definitions have evolved to include an environmental dimension (Hahn, D., Payne, W., & Lucas, E., 2011). A person’s health status can change throughout one’s life because of the different factors that determine health. Health is a dynamic state or condition that is multidimensional in nature. It is a resource for living and results from a person’s interactions with and adaptations to his or her environment. Health can exist in varying degrees and is specific to each individual and his or her situation (McKenzie, Pinger, & Seabert, 2018).
Sonia C. Tinsley, Ph.D Division Chair, Allied Health, Department Chair, Health & Exercise Science
As noted by Ostrander (2012), the integration of faith and learning affects the classroom environment. Integrating faith is not just including religious topics within one’s area of study but rather relating one’s Christian worldview to an academic discipline (Ostrander, 2012). The overarching goal of most health educators is to enhance the health and quality of life of individuals and communities. Integrating faith and learning means we consciously relate our Christian worldview to the area of study. The field of Health and Exercise Science focuses on an enhancedsense of well-being, which includes one’s spirituality and faith. Weaving faith into the curriculum helps students recognize the connection between faith and their area of study so they can apply it to their academic and professional lives.
The field of Health and Exercise Science has shifted from focusing on morbidity and mortality to a more holistic approach, which includes the dimensions of wellness. By applying Hettler’s wellness model, a person can become aware of the interconnectedness of each dimension and how they contribute to healthy living (Hettler, 1976). The dimensions of wellness provide the foundation for the field of Health and Exercise Science, which provides Louisiana College students opportunities to apply the wellness model and reflect on the interconnectedness of each dimension in relation to their faith. Physical health is the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows us to get through our daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. The ability to recognize that our behaviors have a significant impact on our wellness and adopting healthful habits (routine checkups, a balanced diet, exercise, etc.) while avoiding destructive habits
(tobacco, drugs, alcohol, etc.) will lead to optimal physical health. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Emotional health is the ability to understand ourselves and cope with the challenges life can bring. It is the ability to acknowledge and share feelings of anger, fear, sadness or stress; hope, love, joy and happiness in a productive manner contributes to our emotional health. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:25-26 Social health is the ability to relate to and connect with other people in our world. Our ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with family, friends and co-workers contributes to our social health. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 Environmental health is the ability to recognize our own responsibility for the quality of the air, the water and the land that surrounds us. The ability to make a positive impact on the quality of our environment, be it our homes, our communities or our planet, contributes to our environmental health. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands.” Psalms 19:1 Spiritual health is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives so that we can develop congruency between our values and actions as well as realize a common purpose. At Louisiana College, students can expand on this dimension of health by strengthening their relationship with God through a
variety of activities and courses. “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 Occupational health is the ability to get personal fulfillment from our jobs or our chosen career fields while still maintaining balance in our lives. The desire to contribute to our careers for the purpose of making a positive impact on society and the organizations we work in leads to occupational health. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 Intellectual health is the ability to open our minds to new ideas and experiences that can be applied to personal decisions, group interaction and community betterment. The desire to learn new concepts, improve skills and seek challenges in pursuit of lifelong learning contributes to our intellectual health. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 As a professor at a Christian liberal arts college, my goal is to prepare students to graduate with not only a degree but with life skills as well. As educators, we hope to instill in our students a love for life-long learning. By integrating one’s faith into academics, learning can continue throughout one’s life as a Christian learner (Ostrander, 2009). “Perhaps this is the moment for which you were created.” Esther 4:14 References Hahn, D., Payne, W., & Lucas, E. (2011). Focus on Health. McGraw-Hill. (10th edition). New York, NY. Hettler, B. (1976). The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model. National Wellness Institute. Retrieved from https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/ www.nationalwellness.org/resource/resmgr/docs/sixdimensionsfactsheet.pdf McKenzie, J., Pinger, R., & Seabert, D. (2018). An Introduction to Community & Public Health. Jones and Bartlett Learning. (9th edition). Burlington, MA. Ostrander, R. (2012). Why College Matters to God. Abilene Christian University Press. Abilene, Texas. World Health Organization. (1998). Health Promotion Glossary. Geneva, Switzerland: Author. Retrieved from http://www.who. int/healthpromotion/about/HPR%20Glossary%201998.pdf
The Post-Truth Challenge to the Christian Liberal Arts College
national, and local events. Prior to the new intellectual shift, western thought was predicated upon a Christian worldview which held a consensus in American Culture. The old paradigm (Christian worldview) for intellectual thought was that truth was discoverable, discernable, and livable. Christianity was understood to have an overarching system in that it was not a collection of truths applied to various academic disciplines and circumstances, but it was deemed, The Truth 2. The slow decline of the old paradigm (Christian worldview) has been noticeable for some time but has made significant cultural advancement within the past twenty years. Thirty years ago it was not uncommon to hear Christian philosophers and theologians agonizing over the possibility that the American culture was living in a Post-Christian society 3. If this pronouncement were true then, the obvious result, thirty years later, is the emerging post-truth culture.
Christian Liberal Arts Education in a Post-Truth Society
Dr. Marvin Jones Assistant Professor of Theology
Each year the Oxford Linguists pick a word of the year to include in their dictionaries. In 2016, the choice word was post-truth 1. This word is defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” The rationale for their choice stemmed from the political movement within the past couple of years where facts seemed to be relegated to secondary consideration. The word denotes that truth is irrelevant to any discussion but personal and subjective opinions, founded or unfounded, take precedence when discussing any given topic. The selection of this new word reveals a paradigm shift in the intellectual evaluation of international,
The teaching challenges for higher education in a post-truth culture are daunting for secular education. However, one must admit that a post-truth culture and a post-truth student are more welcome on secular universities. A 2007 study by Gary Tobin and Aryeh Weinberg depicts secular faculty do not claim any form of Christianity as compared to the American public. “While 80% of the public self-identify as Christian, only 56% of faculty self-identify in the same way. The drop in Evangelicals among faculty, who are three times more numerous in the general public, largely accounts for the difference.” 4 If Tobin and Weinberg are correct, the implication is that evangelical Christian faculty are difficult to find on the typical American college campus. This fact gives precedent to the decline of a Christian worldview on the typical college campus. Cultural Challenges to Christian Liberal Arts The teaching challenges posed by post-truth students are more intense for the Christian Liberal Arts educator simply because students have been trained in
and adopted the current worldview. Unfortunately, the same is true of the Christian student registering for class at a Christian Liberal Arts campus. The decline of Christianity in North America is observable in the self-identification of freshmen students entering college. Allen Downey’s article College Freshmen Are Less Religious Than Ever reveals this trend. The number of college students with no religious affiliation has tripled in the last 30 years, from 10 percent in 1986 to 31 percent in 2016, according to data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program. Over the same period, the number who attended religious services dropped from 85 percent to 69 percent. These trends provide a snapshot of the current generation of young adults; they also provide a preview of rapid secularization in the U.S. over the next 30 years. 5 The impact of a declining Christian worldview means that Christian Colleges must interact with students who have embraced a dichotomy of their faith and their learning. 6 Christian Liberal Arts Response Most Christian students at Christian colleges are not aware of the fact that education, laws, civil norms, and societal progress exist because of the Christian heritage that was the product of a Christian worldview. 7 For that matter, few students know Harvard, Yale, and Princeton exist today as mere reflections of the Christian educational worldview they once offered. 8 The obstacle for Christian faculty is that current Christian students come to a Christian campus, by and large, without a Christian worldview. Christian Colleges must give attention to the recovery of the Christian worldview. Rick Ostrander said it best, “A Christian university, by contrast, seeks to provide an overarching framework that gives a sense of purpose and unity for everything from English Literature to chapel to intramural soccer.” 9 The Christian worldview presents the interpretation of factual data in methods that seek to honor God, develop the students (mentally and spiritually), and compel Christian ministry to society at large.
Christian Studies and Christian Liberal Arts The post-truth student struggles with absolutes. The contemporary student does not want to condemn other positions as wrong even when evidence is offered. Tolerance trumps the moral, ethical, and academic compass. This mindset affects all academic disciplines and moral decisions. At the opposite end of the post-truth spectrum are Christian Studies propagating moral absolutes while maintaining academic dialogue. This position becomes problematic when discussing various alternatives to Christianity which amount to various alternative worldviews. Theological Premise of Christian Studies Christian Studies, by its innate design, excludes religious non-Christian claims as viable. One can study the various religions, but one cannot claim they are studying Christianity. There is an exclusive approach that is necessary for Christian Colleges to be able to proclaim they are Christians. In a posttruth culture, there are competing claims for religious truth. Those differing claims can and must be heard but rejected since they oppose the very truth of Christianity. In other words, one cannot be a Christian Hindu, Christian Atheist, or Christian Muslim. 10 The exclusive truth claims of Christianity will not allow such confusion and call it truth. Theological Premise for Christian Liberal Arts The case for Christian fidelity in a post-truth culture is a product of the first commandment to “have no other Gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). This command is positive in that it requires allegiance to the true God, and it is negative in that Christians must reject competing claims for non-biblical gods. This command forms the basis of integrating faith content into the curriculum of the Christian Liberal Arts College. 11 The Christian Studies department may help the Liberal Arts continue its biblical foundation by emphasizing the following core components of Christianity: transformation of the human heart and the incarnation. 12
Transformation The Louisiana College (LC) motto is “Preparing Graduates and Transforming Lives.” One of the primary goals is the transformation of the students’ lives. Therefore, when the students complete their studies at LC, their lives are transformed. The question must be asked, “What does transformed mean?” Transformation recognizes the heart’s sinful condition. Robert W. Pazmino, in his work, So What Makes Our Teaching Christian, states, “Transformation in general can be identified as the process of going beyond existing or dominant forms to a new or emergent perspective and reality.” 13 The faculty must recognize the spiritual conditions of students may be in a state of flux. Some students may be theologically grounded Christians who have a solid Christian worldview, whereas, others may have never read the Scriptures. Transformation recognizes the student’s spiritual condition can be impacted by academic and faith content. 14 Again, Pazmino states, “The potential of transformation provides hope for persons and groups viewed as outsiders in the life of communities, for those on the margins.” 15
Incarnation The biblical truth that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity incarnated into humanity has positive consequences for Christian Liberal Arts. The biblical meaning is that God came into the world. This profound statement has repercussions that are somewhat overlooked in the Academy. George Marsden states the positive meaning of the incarnation for the Christian faculty, “One implication, which is not unique to Christianity but is accentuated by faith in Christ as God incarnate, is that the supernatural and the natural realms are not closed off to each other.” 16 Christian faculty innately believe this premise. For example, when the faculty pray before class (on behalf of their teaching or on behalf of the students), the premise is that God, who is supernatural, can intervene in the natural world of the classroom. This pedagogical approach is not paradoxical, but it is the very platform from which Christian Liberal Art studies arise.
There is one last implication to consider for the incarnation. The incarnated Christ was transparent with his disciples. Jesus, in response to Philip’s (his disciple) request of, “Lord, show us the Father,” asked whether he had been with them such a long time and yet had they not seen the Father (John 14:8-9). The Lord’s answer reveals that the incarnation is nothing less than a transparent God on display to the world. That same transparency is a critical link to the posttruth student for the continued success of the student and faculty. For the Christian faculty to have teaching credibility with this present generation, transparency must take place in the life of the faculty member.
Conclusion A Christian faculty presupposes they are Christians. 17 This may seem to be an absurd statement, regardless, it should be stated concisely. At Louisiana College there are good faculty in the various disciplines and all are Christian. They think and act like Christians. Thinking like a Christian does not impede intellectual thought but serves as the foundation for the process. 18 To think Christianly is not a mere academic exercise, but it is to acknowledge God’s kingship over the world he created. This work has been an attempt to encourage the Louisiana College Christian Liberal Arts faculty as they do the work of a Christian scholar with the emphasis that “faith matters” in a post-truth culture.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-ofthe-year-2016 Accessed August 1, 2018. 1
Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity (Wheaton, IL., Crossway, 2004), 33. 2
This is a broad and general statement recognizing the changing American cultural milieu. Seemingly, the Christian consensus (Christian worldview) that dominated Western culture was in the process of noticeable decline during the 1980’s 3
4 Gary Tobin and Aryeh Weinberg, Profiles of the American
University: Religious Beliefs and Behaviors of College Faculty, vol. II. www.jewishresearch.org/PDFs2/FacultyReligion07.pdf. Accessed August 2, 2018. I wish to acknowledge John Dickerson’s work, Hope of Nations (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018) for introducing this source.
Allen Downey, “College Freshmen Are Less Religious Than Ever” in Scientific American May 25, 2017. https://blogs. scientificamerican.com/observations/college-freshmen-are-lessreligious-than-ever Accessed August 2, 2018. 5
6 Nancy Pearcy, Total Truth, previously cited gives a good but
limited footnoted bibliography for consideration. For more reading on the dichotomy of faith and learning, see Francis Schaeffer’s Escape from Reason and The God Who is There (in The Complete Works of Francis Schaffer [Wheaton, IL; Crossway, 1982]). Pearcy’s work is more contemporary, comprehensive, and well worth the time to read. In my lectures, I contend that Post Millennial Eschatology was foundational for the growth of United States work ethic. The American work ethic was the catalyst that undergirded the Progressive Era mentality of the American society. The corollary of Post Millennial eschatology is a hopeful theology that understand the church advancing in ministry to bring about the Kingdom of God. That concept translated into advancing American society for a better-quality life. For a concise article dealing with the topic see Gary North’s Millennialism And The Progressive Movement, https://mises-media.s3.amazonaws. com/12_1_6_0.pdf; See also, Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1988), 43, “America became the land of opportunity. Here Protestantism could turn from protest and conflict to construction… There were no settled institutions defending the special privileges of the religiously, politically or economically powerful; but by the same token there were no social organizations of any kind to provide for orderly procedure in the conduct of men with men. Whatever else then America came to be, it was also an experiment in constructive Protestantism.” 7
The decline of Christianity in the Ivy League Universities has been well documented. For further reading see: James Tunstead Burtchaell, The Dying of the Light: The Disengagement of Colleges and Universities from Their Christian Churches (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998); George Marsden, The Soul of the American University: From Protestant Establishment to Established Nonbelief (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994). For a Christian student’s perspective see: Ari L. Goldman, The Search For God at Harvard (New York, NY: Ballentine Books, 1992) and Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Finding God at Harvard: Spiritual Journeys of Thinking Christians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Press, 1997, revised 2007). 8
9 Rick Ostrander, Why College Matters to God: An Introduction to
the Christian College (Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2012), 24.
In 2016, Wheaton College Professor Larycia Hawkins claimed solidarity with Muslim women while donning the hijab. Her comment “Christians and Muslims worship the same God” were problematic to the Wheaton College Christian Worldview. See Christianity Today https://www.christianitytoday.com/ news/2015/december/wheaton-college-hijab-professor-samegod-larycia-hawkins.html. Accessed August 2, 2018 10
11 This does not imply a change to the curriculum. It does refer to
the biblical foundation from which the curriculum arises.
There are many more Christian core components to consider but because of spatial limitations the above items were chosen as most needed on a Christian campus. For more reading on the relationship between Christian Core Commitments and the Christian University see the following: Mark A. Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1994); Perry L. Glanzer, Nathan F. Allerman, and Todd C. Ream, Restoring the Soul of the University: Unifying Christian Higher Education in a Fragmented Age (Downers’ Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2017). 12
Robert. W. Pazmino, So What Makes our Teaching Christian? (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2008), 109. 13
14 Baptist Faith and Message 2000 Article XII concerning
Education states, “Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for knowledge.” 15
Pazmino, So What Makes our Teaching Christian?, 109.
George M. Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship (Oxford, EN: Oxford University Press, 1997), 90. 16
17 Non-Christian faculty will find it difficult to exist on a
Christian Liberal Arts campus as their worldview is drastically different. This does not mean there can be no interaction with faculty (at other institutions) for the purpose of academic thinking. It does mean that the first requirement to be considered for employment is the faculties personal testimony as a Christian. Studying the life of Christ, Paul, or John (just to name a few) reveals the character of evangelistic and intellectual thinking. 17